Expressing your MAAT-ness

Bookworm55

I'm going to be graduating this coming summer, and so the time has come to step up my networking, make contacts and apply for jobs. As someone who is already a full member of the AAT as well as an undergraduate, this means I have something slightly unusual in my favour. However, I'm not sure how to go about expressing it and was wondering if anyone had any ideas about how to deal with these two issues:

1. "full member of the AAT"
When I use this expression to describe myself, at careers events and so on, more often than not whoever I'm talking to says; "so how many exams have you passed?".

I always smile sweetly and say "oh, all of them. And I've earned enough experience to be elected a full member".

What I'm actually thinking at this point is "if I hadn't passed all the exams and earned enough experience, I wouldn't be calling myself a full member, I'd still be a student member". I've thought better than actually saying that to them.

Is there a better way to phrase it?

2. putting your letters after your name
Do you do it? I don't have them on my CV- it just has my full name at the top. But I'm looking at the covering letter in front of me, and I really want to sign off "Bookworm55 MAAT"
(obviously with my full name in place of Bookworm55, I'm not that daft)

Part of me says "no, that's just pretentious", another says "it's an accounting designation and the target audience is an accountant, why wouldn't you put it there", another says "but what if they think MAAT is my family name?" and so on.

So the question is; when do you use your MAAT letters?

MattW

Personally I would put the letters after my name (once I've qualified!). My line of thinking is if an employer receives 100s of CV's and covering letters that extra MAAT/FMAAT makes you look a lot better straight away, without the potential employer having to filter through your CV.

As for your first question I think I would have the same response as you! But inside I would be thinking what a daft question to be asked!